Johnston student, teacher selected for Young People’s Continental Congress

Copy of YPCC 2025 templateJOHNSTON, Ia. (Feb. 17, 2025)  – A Johnston student and teacher have been selected to represent Iowa at a prestigious academic opportunity in Philadelphia this summer.

JHS sophomore Paige Neighbors and Johnston Extended Learning Program (ELP) teacher Cheryl Smith are among 27 teams and the only ones from Iowa selected to attend the 2025 Young People’s Continental Congress (YPCC), which will be held July 14-18 in Philadelphia. The announcement was made today in celebration of Presidents Day.

The Young People’s Continental Congress is sponsored by National History Day, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the teaching and learning of history across the U.S. and the world, and Carpenters’ Hall, the home of the nation’s First Continental Congress in 1774.

This is the second year for the Young People’s Continental Congress, which began last year with 14 student-teacher teams from the original 13 colonies, plus one team from Philadelphia. In response to the pilot program, the Philadelphia City Council – through the Philadelphia Cultural Fund – along with the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial and many other donors came together to fund the program again in 2025 with 27 teams of one high school student and one teacher, for a total of 54 delegates.

This year’s YPCC delegates represent both rural and urban areas across the United States and Guam. Here’s what’s involved:Young People's Continental Congress

  • They’ll complete online learning modules throughout spring 2025 about subjects such as the Continental Congress, the Boston Massacre, and economic liberty in Colonial America.
  • The student-teacher teams will convene in Philadelphia from July 14-18 for a week of special programming and field learning opportunities at sites such as Carpenters’ Hall, Independence National Historical Park, the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
  • Delegates will also co-create and sign a joint declaration of their aspirations for American democracy, just as their historical counterparts issued the Declaration of Colonial Rights and the Declaration of Independence. YPCC is a National Partner Program of America250.

“We are excited to expand the Young People’s Continental Congress for a second year and represent the United States’ full geographic diversity,” said Carpenters’ Hall Executive Director Michael Norris. “Our delegates will engage with leading historians and gain special access to Philadelphia’s unparalleled museums, historic sites and archives. The 2025 program promises to be truly inspiring and life-changing.”

“National History Day is thrilled to once again help lead YPCC,” said NHD Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “YPCC is a unique opportunity for students and teachers to collaborate as they study our country’s founding era, examine primary documents and locations in the city where history was made and meet people from across the country and world. As we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026, YPCC is the perfect program to engage students and teachers in examining the past while looking toward the future.”

“On behalf of the Philadelphia City Council, I want to congratulate the 54 delegates of the 2025 Young People’s Continental Congress,” said City Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes Carpenters’ Hall.

“We are excited to welcome these bright students and teachers to the birthplace of our nation’s democracy this summer,” Squilla said. “The delegation is set for a unique week of immersive experiential learning in the city where the Continental Congress met starting in 1774. We look forward to showing them the many gems that make the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection a world-class destination, from historical and cultural sites to the famous foods like cheesesteaks and soft pretzels that shape Philadelphia’s identity. City Council’s philanthropic support of YPCC is another investment in safeguarding our democracy, as these caring and dedicated high school students are our future leaders.”